1. Field of the Invention
This application is directed to a process for producing LPG, gasoline and/or aromatics from ethane wherein ethane containing feeds are brought in contact with a novel catalytic system comprising a ZSM-5 type catalyst and a uniform narrow pore aluminosilicate crystalline catalyst, the largest dimension of said pores being less than about 6 Angstroms. In a single reaction zone a portion of the ethane in said feed is converted over the ZSM-5 type catalyst to C.sub.3 + hydrocarbons, and a portion of the unconverted ethane is converted by reaction with by-product hydrogen to methane using the narrow pore crystalline catalyst, e.g., erionite.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,254,023 and 3,267,023 are directed to a catalytic method of carrying out an exothermic reaction and an endothermic reaction in a single reaction zone wherein the heat evolved in the exothermic reaction is utilized to effect the endothermic reaction. The catalyst used therein is a mixture of, e.g., a solid porous hydrogenation catalyst and a crystalline zeolite cracking catalyst. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 3,136,713 discloses a selective combustion process wherein a combustible mixture of molecules of differing molecular size are passed over a crystalline aluminosilicate catalyst.